Floor squeegee



May 14, 1963 G. B. HUNT 3,089,173

FLOOR SQUEEGEE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 3, 1.961

INVENTOR. fiarye 5 M/,

May 14, 1963 G. B. HUNT FLOOR SQUEEGEE Filed Feb. 3, 1961 INVENTOR.

farye 5 41m,

Wis.

The present application is directed to new and useful improvements infloor Squeegees, and is particularly concerned with simplified andimproved means for supporting a rubber squeegee blade from an elongatedmanipulating handle.

A major purpose of the present invention is the provision of simplifiedhinge elements between a rubber squeegee blade and an elongated handle,which elements allow limited relative rotation between the general planeof the squeegee blade and the axis of the manipulating handle, therebyallowing the general plane of the squeegee blade to be disposed at aninclination to the floor surface during both forward and reverse strokesof the squeegee, and as a consequence allowing the use of shorter orstiffer rubber blades in the squeegee while reducing operator pressurerequired for the proper use of the squeegee.

Another purpose of the present invention is the provision of simplifiedfastening means for securing a squeegee blade to a hand-manipulatedsupport.

Other purposes of the invention include the provision of a hangedbracket and hinged elements for connection between a manipulating handleand a squeegee blade which provide a simple, sturdy, and economicalconstruction, the provision of improved hinge elements between thehandle and squeegee blade that simplify the assembly of the handle andsqueegee blade, and the provision of hinge elements between a squeegeeblade and handle therefor which permit relative rotation of the squeegeeblade and handle as aforesaid without binding of the parts of the hinge,these and other purposes of the invention being more apparent when takenwith the following specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the squeegee construction of thepresent invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the squeegee construction illustrated inFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the squeegee construction illustrated inFIGURES l and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the squeegee construction illustrated inFIGURES l, 2, and 3 and taken on a section line passed through thehandle of the assembly and extending transversely to the squeegee blade;

FIGURE 5 is a front view of the squeegee construction illustrated inFIGURES l4; and

FIGURE 6 is a top View of one of the hinge elements illustrated inFIGURES 1-6.

Like elements are designated by like characters throughout thespecification and drawings.

With particular reference now to the drawings and in the first instancein FIGURE 1, 10 designates a squeegee blade which, as is seen in thedrawings, may be of a split construction so as to provide both a forwardsection 1011 and a rear section 10b for the squeegee blade, the twosections extending downward from the single section at the upper portionof the blade. Squeegee blade 10 is supported on an elongated angle irontype support 11 which has one downwardly extending leg 12 thereof insurfaceto-surface and side-to-side contact with the upper portion of thesqueegee blade 10 and the other leg 13 thereof extending transverselythereto and over the top of the squeegee blade. Support 11 can be madeof many materials such as iron, steel, aluminum, or the like.

An elongated handle 14 of the customary floor broom or floor mop lengthextends upwardly and rearwardly from the squeegee blade 10 and is fixedto the squeegee tent O f 3,089,173 Patented May 14, 1963 ice blade forlimited relative rotation by means assembly, generally designated at 15.

Removable clamping means are provided for holding the squeegee blade 113to support 11, as is best seen in FIG- URES 2, 4, and 5. A clamping bar16 is positioned in side-to-side contact with the upper portion of thesqueegee blade 10 so as to clamp the upper portion of the squeegee blade10 securely between the clamping bar 16 and the depending leg .12 of theangle iron.

Bolt and nut fasteners 17 are spaced along the length of the support 11and with the bolts passed through the depending leg 12of the support 11,through the clamping bar 16, and through the upper portion of thesqueegee blade so as to removably fix these elements together.

Hinge assembly 15 includes a bracket 18 which is fixed to the leg 13 ofthe support at the central portion thereof so as to define spacedconfining walls 19 and 20 and an upper wall 21 spaced from the surfaceof the leg 13. The bracket 18 is fixed to the leg 13 as by means ofbolts 01' screws 22 which are passed through outwardly extending flangesof the bracket and into the body of the leg 13. Handle 14 has a hingearm 23 fixed thereto as by means of a screw 24 carried by the lower endof the handle. Arm 23 includes an outwardly extending pontion '25 whichis received and retained within the space between the walls 19 and 20,wall 21, and upper surface of the leg 13. The outwardly extending endportion 25 of arm 23 is angu-alr- 1y offset with respect to a portion 26that abuts against the end of the handle 14 and together with theportion 25 makes an obtuse angle.

The top wall 21 of the bracket includes a central depression 27 which,as is seen best in FIGURE 4, is of a generally V-shaped form so as toprovide a fulcrum within the space between the opposed walls 19 and 20.The angularly offset portion 25 of the hinge arm is also of a generallyV-shaped form, although of a shallower inclination than the V-shapeddepression 27, thereby enabling the apex of the portion 25 to bearagainst the apex of the portion 27.

The outer portion 25 includes recesses 28 and 29 along the side edgesthereof, which recesses extend for a length slightly greater than thewidth of the walls 18 and 19, so that the ends of the walls 18 and 19are received within the spaced edges 30 and 31 of these recesses, thusprecluding removal of the hinge arm from the bracket, while allowingrocking movement of the hinge arm within the bracket.

Hinge arm 23 includes spaced ribs 32 and 33 on the undersurface thereofso that the ribs not only strengthen the hinge arm, but also providewhat are essentially lineal surfaces which bear against the leg 13 ofthe support 11, thus reducing frictional contact between the hinge armand bracket and leg 13 of support 11.

The depression 27 should extend downwardly sufficiently far that theapex thereof is spaced from the surface of the leg 13 by a distanceslightly greater than the thickness of the arm'23 and the ribs 32 and 33so as to allow easy rocking movement of the hinge arm relative to thebracket 21 and the squeegee blade supported thereby.

The construction is easily assembled by inserting the hinge arm 23within the U-shaped bracket and then fixing the bracket to the leg 13.Handle 14 may be secured to the arm 23, either prior to the assembly ofthe arm with the support or after such assembly. Similarly, the squeegeeblade may be affixed to the support 11 either before or after the hingearm 23 is secured between the bracket 21 and the support 11. v

In operation, the hinge arm 23 may rock within the bracket 18 as limitedby contact with the upper portion of the top wall 21 of the bracket. Inthis connection it should be noted that the inclination of the outerportion of a hinge such that one leg of the V-shaped form (as, forexample, the outermost leg as seen in FIG- URE 4) lies substantiallyflat against the upper surface of the support 11 while the other leg ofthe V-shaped form sufliciently close to the upper wall 21 of the bracketthat relatively little play is possible therebetween. Thus, the hingearm, when in the position illustrated in FIG- URE 4, bears against thesurface of the blade 13 and against the upperwall 21 of the bracket,thus providing stability of the squeegee support relative to the handle14 and substantially precluding twisting of the squeegee blade about theaxis of the support. When in the position illustrated in FIGURE 4, whichcorresponds to the position of the elements when the user is drawing thesqueegee towards himself, the assembly allows the operator to exert firmand substantially even contact all along the length of the squeegeeblade. On the reverse stroke of the squeegee, as when the operator ispushing the squeegee away from himself, the squeegee support 11 andbracket 18 rock about the apex of the V-shaped depression 27 and apex ofthe V-shaped outer portion 25, so that the outer end of the portion 25is brought up into contacting relation with the upper wall 21 of thebracket 18, while the ribs 32 and 33 on the inner leg portion of the armportion 25 are brought into surface-to-surface contact with the upperleg 13 of the support. Thus, during the forward stroke of the squeegee,the hinge arm 23 is securely confined between the leg 13 and the wall21, preventing twisting of the squeegee blade about the axis of handle14.

The several elements of the hinge construction may be proportioned sothat hinge arm may rotate through an angle on the order of approximatelyto 30 degrees between the extreme positions, thus properly disposing thesqueegee blade at an acute angle with respect to the direction of travelof the blade during either forward or reverse strokes of the squeegeeblade. Rotation of approximately degrees is preferred.

The assembly is, in efiect, loose jointed and yet provides a strong andsturdy support for the squeegee operation.

The particular support for the squeegee blade allows convenient removalof the squeegee blade so as to allow the replacement of a worn bladewith a new one. The hinge construction allows successive wiping actionsby each of the opposite edge surfaces of the blade during forward andreverse strokes of the blade.

By using the hinging action, the squeegee blade is dis- 3 25 of thehinge arm is posed at the proper angle for the wiping operation, withoutas much fiexure of the squeegee blade as is required in non-hingedblades thus permitting the use of a shorter or a stitter blade whilegreatly reducing the pressure which the user must apply to the handle inorder to cause the blade to follow the depressions in the floor.

Whereas I have shown and described an operative form of the invention,it should be understood that this showing and description thereof shouldbe taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are manyinvention which will fall with- I claim:

1. A floor squeegee construction including an elongated manipulatinghandle and a support bar extending transversely to the axis of saidhandle, a squeegee blade supported by said bar in depending relationthereto, said support bar having an upstanding generally U-shapedbracket thereon, and a hinge arm fixed to the end of said handle 2. Afioor squeegee construction including an elongated handle and a squeegeeblade support, said squeegee blade support being comprised of Tan anglemember extending generally transversely of the axis of said handle, asqueegee blade fixed to a depending leg of said angle member andextending parallel thereto, a hinge bracket positioned on the other legof said angle member, a hinge arm fixed to the end of said handle andinserted within Said bracket, said hinge arm including a first portionabutting against the end of said handle and a second portion angularlyoffset with respect to said first portion, said angularly oifset portionbeing inserted within said bracket, said angularly offset portion havingrecesses in the side edges thereof for engagement with spaced walls ofsaid bracket, the end edges of said recesses being disposed on oppositesides of said walls of said bracket, thereby retaining said hinge armwithin said bracket while allowing limited angular movement of the bladerelative to the axis of said handle.

3. A floor squeegee construction including an elongated handle and asqueegee blade support, said squeegee blade support being comprised ofan angle member extending generally transversely of the axis of saidhandle, a squeegee blade fixed to a depending leg of said angle memberand extending parallel thereto, a hinge bracket positioned on the otherleg of said angle member, a hinge arm fixed to the end of said handleand inserted within said bracket, said hinge arm including a firstportion extending transversely to the axis of said handle and a secondportion angularly ofiset with respect to said first portion, saidangularl-y offset portion being received within said bracket, saidbracket having a top wall spaced from said other leg of said bladesupport, said bracket having a generally V-shaped depression in the topwall thereof, said angularly offset portion having a generally V-shapedconfiguration of shallower depth than the V-shaped depression in saidbracket, said bracket and said angularly offset portion having means forretaining said angularly offset portion within said bracket whileallowing limited rocking movement of said angularly offset portion aboutthe apex of said V-shaped depression.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said angularly offset portionincludes spaced ribs on the under surface thereof and positioned forengagement with the other leg of said angle member.

5. A hand manipulable squeegee including an elongated handle and asqueegee blade having a supporting plate fixed above the lower edge ofthe blade and extending generally parallel thereto, bracket meansdefined by spaced walls on said plate, an arm fixed to and extendingforwardly of the end of said handle, said walls being spaced to define aspace therebetween for receiving said arm, said bracket means havingportions spaced from said plate and overlying said space, said arm beingpositioned within said space with the lateral displacement of said armbeing limited by contact with said walls and angular movement of saidblade relative to the axis of said handle being limited by saidportions, said portions being spaced from said plate by a distance suchas to allow movement of said arm to positions at varying inclinations tothe general plane of said blade while limiting such movement by contactbetween said arm and portions, and interengageable means carried by saidplate and said arm for preventing removal of said arm from said spacewhile allowing such movement. a

6. A hand manipulable squeegee construction including a supportingangle, a squeegee blade fixed to one leg of the angle and extendinggenerally parallel thereto, a retaining bracket positioned on the otherleg of said angle, an elongated handle having an arm extending beyondthe end thereof, said arm being received within said bracket, said armand bracket having a loose fit with one another so as to allow relativemotion therebetween, and means allowing relative movement of said armand'bracket while 5 limiting such movement and preventing removal ofsaid 2,226,817 arm from said bracket. 2,806,241

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5564,458 1,897,726 Hillyard Feb. 14, 1933 1,035,344

6 Hranicka Dec. 31, 1940 Oishei Sept. 17, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS BelgiumFeb. 28, 1958 France Apr. 15, 1953

1. A FLOOR SQUEEGEE CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING AN ELONGATED MANIPULATINGHANDLE AND A SUPPORT BAR EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO THE AXIS OF SAIDHANDLE, A SQUEEGEE BLADE SUPPORTED BY SAID BAR IN DEPENDING RELATIONTHERETO, SAID SUPPORT BAR HAVING AN UPSTANDING GENERALLY U-SHAPEDBRACKET THEREON, AND A HINGE ARM FIXED TO THE END OF SAID HANDLE ANDINSERTED WITHIN SAID U-SHAPED BRACKET, SAID BRACKET AND HINGE ARM HAVINGCOOPERATING RECESSES AND PROJECTIONS THEREIN SO AS TO HOLD SAID HINGEARM IN SAID BRACKET, SAID COOPERATING RECESSES AND PROJECTIONS BEINGFORMED AND ADAPTED TO ALLOW RELATIVE ANGULAR MOVEMENT IN A LIMITEDDEGREE BETWEEN THE AXIS OF SAID HANDLE AND THE GENERAL PLANE OF SAIDSQUEEGEE BLADE.